Sweets / Desserts

Viennese Food Culture

Coffehouses

The Viennese coffee house is known around the globe for its informal pleasantness, as an oasis of gemütlichkeit. Traditional cafés entice with a wide variety of coffee drinks, international newspapers and pastry creations.

Since 2011, the traditional Viennese coffee house culture has even belonged to the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. Modern representatives of the genre enrich the tradition with stylish flair. A close relative of the café is the pastry shop. Their specialty, pies and cakes, are the icing on Vienna's dolce vita in the form of Bundt cake and Sachertorte.

To enjoy the real Viennese coffee experience, see Vienna.info for a guide to Vienna's coffeehouses.

Bistro (Beisl)

The bistro, or beisl, is a typical Viennese dining establishment. Down-to-earth, cozy and traditional, it makes its mark on a booming restaurant scene.

The term 'beisl' probably comes from the Yiddish word 'bajiss', meaning 'house'. The classic Viennese bistro has a spacious bar, where wine is chilled and beer is poured, dark-painted wood paneling, simple tables and chairs and a mixed crowd. The kitchen is dominated by tradition: soup with pancake strips or dumplings, schnitzel and offal, goulash and tasty pastries, such as Palatschinken and Kaiserschmarren, set the tone of the menu.

Viennese Wine & Heurige

Wine and Heurige belong to Vienna as much as the Giant Ferris Wheel, Schönbrunn Palace, or the Lipizzaner.

Vienna is the only world capital to produce significant quantities of wine within the city limits. And wine cultivation is one of its hallmarks. For years wine was almost only associated with the heuriger, the typical Viennese wine tavern. The real Viennese heurige, in which only Viennese wines are served, are identified by a bunch of pine branches and by the word “Ausg’steckt” written on a board, which simultaneously shows when the tavern is open.

However, the word “heurige” does not just describe the tavern itself, but also the wine from the current vintage, which – in accordance with tradition - may be so-called until 11 November (St Martin’s Day). However, today Vienna is becoming ever more established as a wine-growing region. Each year Viennese wine is the central focus of events and has become a fixture in many wine bars, wine shops and inns of the city. In short: Viennese wine is readily available and can be enjoyed at many spots in the city.

To learn everything about Viennese wine and the typical Viennese Heurige, check out Vienna.info.